The Dutchman was certainly not pulling any punches in his assessment of the 23-year-old, claiming that he needed to be more like Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie to succeed at Old Trafford.

Although Welbeck’s goalscoring record was never that impressive during his time with the Red Devils, many were of the opinion that the attacker possesses great talent and could well have been a leading star for the club.

Former player and Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville has spoken about how the Gunners signed the England international on the cheap, but if van Gaal’s assessment is right then it could be opposite number Arsene Wenger that loses out.

Whether this is genuinely the United boss’ opinion, a sly dig at Welbeck, or a slight at the Gunners – or a mixture of all three – is unknown, but Rooney, van Persie and new signing Radamel Falcao will have to prove he is not missed.